Meeting with the spirit of your voice.

Last weekend I had the pleasure to embark into a journey of a different kind. A journey of sound, music, silence and to the unknown. I went to Bochums Yoga Bar https://yogabar.de participating in an intensive voice workshop. Our guide at this weekend – the amazingly talented singer and songwriter Nessi Gomes. If you haven’t heard from her yet, you definitely missing out. Her unique voice and music will touch your heart and move you in many ways. You should most definitely have a look https://www.nessigomesmusic.com. And if you have the chance to see her life somewhere close to you – just go and gift yourself.

One of my favourite songs is “All related” – https://soundcloud.com/nessigomes – you can also find her on Spotify or simply order her CD – https://www.musicglue.com/nessi-gomes. You can even get a limited Vinyl edition 😊 for all the nostalgics amongst you.

The weekend started off with a wonderful sound bath, a listening meditation which has the power to go very deep. This beautiful work is able to move a lot of energy and often triggers some emotional or physical release. Afterwards we simply enjoyed Nessis voice. Listening to her concert in a very sweet and intimate set up. Just her voice accompanied by her guitar. It was truly mesmerizing and for me the second time that I had the chance to join this delicate space.

I’m strongly connected to music and it holds a huge part in my life. It connects me deeply to my emotions and while listening and/or dancing I can completely let go and tap into other realms of myself. However, I’m neither playing an instrument yet, nor do I consider myself a great singer. I mean, I sing,…. sometimes 😊, alone,……you know, under the shower and such. But mostly when I’m singing, I am singing in a circle accompanied by friends.

Using your voice is very powerful and so much more than just talking.  It’s your unique expression of what you are and what you feel. You speak, you cry, you laugh, you scream, you sing and you pray.  It is a very powerful tool with which you directly connect and interact with your surroundings. And it’s not only the words you speak. Your sound is carrying your emotions as well as your intentions.

A very good friend of mine told me once, that finding your own voice is one of the scariest things in life. There is some truth in it but I thought it doesn’t have to be so scary 😊.

So, this time I decided to explore a bit more of myself and joined Nessis vocal odyssey workshop. A workshop which was and wasn’t so much about singing rather than finding your own true inner voice. Connecting to your soul, expressing the deepest parts of your being through sound. It was indeed a very deep, profound and beautifully conducted journey.

Together with a heartful and open group of people we created a very safe space to explore. We listened, we sung, we danced and worked together. Always getting closer and deeper with each exercise.

Nessis sweet and tender way of leading us through and to various layers of our voice was incredibly powerful. Of course, challenging at times, but always very playful. Overall it was simply a touching and joyful journey where we could reach pure and raw parts of our being.

For me personally it was a very empowering experience. I stepped once again out of my comfort zone, facing some walls of resistance and broke through. Shedding various layers, unveiling another beautiful part of myself.

I received such beautiful gift this weekend and I’m so very much grateful for that. The gift of truly understanding a so familiar connection. I’ve been singing in musical circles for a little while now. And even though I thought I understood the power of singing and its strong connection, I didn’t.  Sometimes when you do something, you know what and how to do it. You hear or read an explanation and you understand the words. You understand the meaning and you can also easily repeat it. And so, you are under the impression that you got it.

But using your voice and really feeling this connection of yourself to something higher, deep within your soul, is something completely different. It is touching you at the very core of your being and letting your heart shine brightly. At this weekend, I got touched.

So, thank you Nessi Gomes for showing me what was already there. For letting me feel and understand. For the precious gift of connectivity between my voice and the divine.

I still can’t call myself a Mick Jagger now, and I didn’t buy a new musical instrument yet. In the end I already have one – and I’m intending to use it more often now.

Much love

Arati